New German rail line connects Berlin to Munich in 4 hours

German rail operator Deutsche Bahn has opened a new high-speed rail line connecting Berlin and Munich that it hopes will compete with air travel between the two cities.

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Deutsche Bahn said Friday the new line will shave up to two hours off the current trip between northeastern Germany and Bavaria with high-speed trains able to travel up to 300 kph (185 mph) and complete the journey in just under four hours.

That compares to about an hour of in-air flight time.

The fastest trains will run three times a day in either direction, while regular Berlin-Munich trains will run every hour on the route that runs through Erfurt and Nuremberg and also complete the journey 90 minutes faster than before.